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Georgia Tech vs. Clemson Predictions, Odds, Preview

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
7 minute read

Feb. 12, 2021
Thom Cunningham
NCAA BK Expert
VegasInsider.com

ACC action on Friday night sees the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in a must-win game against the Clemson Tigers. Tip for this huge conference clash is set for 8 p.m. (ET) and will air on the ACC Network.

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Georgia Tech-Clemson Betting Odds

  • Spread: Clemson -4
  • Money-Line: TBD
  • Total: 130

Odds Subject to Change

Clemson enters as the home favorite, given a -4-point spread which has already jumped to -5 with some sportsbooks. Clemson is 9-7-1 on the ATS this season, while Georgia Tech has failed to cover nine of its last 16 games.

The point total is set at a low 130, a bit difficult to decipher with Georgia Tech's high-powered offense vs. Clemson's strong defense. Georgia Tech is 8-6-2 on the O/U this season, while Clemson is 9-8. The opposite playing styles, paired with the essentially split trends, makes this market a bit weary.

Betting Analysis – Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

  • SU: 9-7
  • ATS: 7-9
  • SU - Home: 8-3
  • SU - Away: 1-4
  • O/U: 8-6-2

Georgia Tech is in desperation mode, losing four of its last six games after winning seven of eight prior. In the last four losses, Georgia Tech has failed to touch 70 points in any of those games. That doesn't bode well for this team, playing on the road against a top 20 defense in the nation.

The fact that Georgia Tech has failed to touch 70 points in four of its last six games, yet still averaging over 75 points per game, is saying something about how lethal this offense is. Georgia Tech has four players averaging 11.4 points or more per game.

The team also has experience littered throughout the roster, as the top five scorers are upperclassmen with four seniors. Jose Alvarado leads the bunch with 17.6 points per game, while Moses Wright averages roughly 16 per game. Alvarado also leads the team in assists (4.3 per game), while Wright leads the team in rebounding (7.7).

These are the two clear leaders of the team, but both Michael Devoe and Jordan Usher are equally as important. One underrated trait the Yellow Jackets have, that is often overlooked, is their ability to get steals.

They average 8.9 steals per game which ranks 17th nationally and second in the ACC. This is mainly Alvarado's doing with 2.9 per game, while five others average 0.9 or more per game. Transitional points will help, but Tech is an offensive threat first.

Georgia Tech averages 15.9 assists per game (50th in nation), while shooting 36% from beyond the arc (79th in nation). Much like Purdue, this team thrives on finding the open man for three. The only difference is Georgia Tech doesn't have Trevion Williams to run an offense from the inside-out.

They will need a lot of the three-pointers to fall in this game, as Clemson is a lockdown defense (especially at home). Expect Alvarado to drive and dish a ton, while Devoe becomes the most important Yellow Jacket on the offensive perimeter. Devoe averages the most three-pointers per game for Georgia Tech, so his shots from beyond the arc will dictate whether the Yellow Jackets can crack the Tigers' defense.

Betting Analysis – Clemson Tigers

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

  • SU: 12-5
  • ATS: 9-7-1
  • SU - Home: 9-1
  • SU - Away: 3-4
  • O/U: 9-8

This team could not be more one-sided in playing style. Clemson is all about the defense, evident with a 94 efficiency rating and only 62.6 points allowed per game (ranks 20th in the nation). The offense, however, is terrible. Clemson averages 65 points per game which ranks 303rd in the country.

Aamir Simms is the saving grace of this offense, the only Tiger to average a double-digit point total. Nick Honor has been floating with nine points per game for a while now, while Al-Amir Dawes is also trying to step up on the offensive end.

It's actually somewhat painful to watch this offense play, as the numbers aren't better to look at. Clemson shoots 41.9% from the field (277th in nation), shoots 31.6% from three (273rd in nation), averages 12.6 assists per game (219th in nation) and only 14 free throw attempts per game (332nd in nation).

After losing three straight, including to Georgia Tech, Clemson has won three of four games. Its only loss in that span was an ugly road game to Duke, as Clemson's offensive struggles couldn't have been more evident. However, after the woeful Duke loss the Tigers offense has put up 63 on North Carolina and 78 on Syracuse.

Both games were at home, as the 78 points are actually the second-most scored by Clemson in any game this season. Brad Brownell may have finally seen enough of an awful offense after the trip to Durham. Consider Clemson a very dangerous team right now, and if the scoring continues to trend upwards (or at least stay on a consistent level mirroring its last two games) they are an ACC dark horse.

Remember this team was ranked top 10 at one point, which was mainly attributed to the defense. If Brownell has indeed made it clear to the team that the offense has to improve, they are one to watch moving forward. Georgia Tech is the perfect test - a high-powered offense.


Inside the Stats – Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

  • PS/G: 74.9 (100th)
  • PA/G: 71.2 (208th)
  • Off Rtg: 106 (98th)
  • Def Rtg: 100.8 (215th)

Inside the Stats – Clemson Tigers

  • PS/G: 65.1 (303rd)
  • PA/G: 63.6 (20th)
  • Off Rtg: 97.8 (247th)
  • Def Rtg: 94 (62nd)

Key Players to Watch

  • GT - Jose Alvarado (17.6 PPG, 4.3 APG)
  • GT - Moses Wright (16.1 PPG, 7.7 RPG)
  • CLEM - Aamir Simms (12.6 PPG, 6.2 RPG)
  • CLEM - Nick Honor (9 PPG, 1.3 SPG)

Georgia Tech-Clemson Predictions

Georgia Tech has seen the home team win 12 of its last 13 games, so start there. Clemson should be fine at home, as the defense should earn more conviction than Tech's offense on the road. The Yellow Jackets do get the nod in terms of desperation, so they may leave it all on the court.

Still, its hard to ignore a few things that favor Clemson here. The first are the ATS trends, as Tech is 7-9 while Clemson is 9-7-1 and home. The second is the lack of point scoring from Georgia Tech in four of its last six games, but specifically failing to touch 60 points in two of its last three games. That's troublesome.

The third is the location, as Clemson thrives at home while Georgia Tech sees home teams thrive this season. Tech only has one road win this year, and that's against Nebraska. Clemson should win and cover in this home game, despite losing to Tech earlier on the year.

  • Score Prediction: Clemson 67 Georgia Tech 62
  • Best Bets: Clemson -4

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